Recommended Reading for this forum
05-22-07, 01:41 PM
#26
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Originally Posted by JohnBrooking
Being a philosophy minor as an undergrad, I can appreciate Hiles' attempt here. All philosophy students realize pretty early on that it's not going to ultimately answer any questions, only clarify them. But it is helpful to do so, and I think Hiles has for this issue.
BTW, I don't get the reference to JRA, ...
05-22-07, 02:38 PM
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Lest there be any misunderstanding (too late, I suppose), I guess JRA is someone's username here? I don't recognize it, so I thought HH was referring to someone well-known by initial. And I also didn't mean to compare him(?) to a flat-earther, only that HH's comparison reminded me of that - an articulate spokeperson for a viewpoint often not well articulated. (Okay, I probably just shouldn't have said anything.)
05-22-07, 04:14 PM
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Originally Posted by JohnBrooking
BTW, I don't get the reference to JRA...
05-22-07, 04:15 PM
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Forester's critique of Hiles' paper is a must read:
An Apologist for Bike Lanes Gets It All Wrong
It's typical Forester.
Yada, yada, yada. 
If anyone wants to know why there is so much venum in the bike lane debate, why rational discussion is nearly impossible, why there is so little chance of a compromise, and why VC-ism is such a laughingstock among vehicular cyclists, they need not look much further than the attitude and name-calling that typify and have come to define John Forester.
John Forester, has there ever been anyone who has talked about cycling and failed to sing your praises that you didn't call a liar?
BTW, I've read Hiles' paper several times over the years. It's better than anything John Forester has written on the subject -- not that that is a high standard.
An Apologist for Bike Lanes Gets It All Wrong
It's typical Forester.
There are only two reasonable explanations for these errors: phobia or mendacity, otherwise described as unconscious lying or conscious lying. In the first case, Hiles is so imbued with the cyclist-inferiority phobia that this forces him to interpret everything he observes or reads according to its precepts; that is the only way that he can understand the cycling world.
If anyone wants to know why there is so much venum in the bike lane debate, why rational discussion is nearly impossible, why there is so little chance of a compromise, and why VC-ism is such a laughingstock among vehicular cyclists, they need not look much further than the attitude and name-calling that typify and have come to define John Forester.
John Forester, has there ever been anyone who has talked about cycling and failed to sing your praises that you didn't call a liar?
BTW, I've read Hiles' paper several times over the years. It's better than anything John Forester has written on the subject -- not that that is a high standard.
Last edited by JRA; 05-22-07 at 08:33 PM.
05-22-07, 04:35 PM
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Here's a book that might be helpful in understanding VC-ism:
Robert Lifton, Thought Reform & the Psychology of Totalism.
Any good book or article on cultism and charismatic leaders would be helpfull in understanding both Forester and his followers - not that VC-ism could rightly be called a cult-- many of the thought control tactics are absent although Forester does have a cult-like following that is a little scary at times. Some of the characteristics of cults are present: groupthink and groupspeak, to name a couple.
Forester also has an uncanny ability to inspire animosity
, which he is always quick to attribute to cyclist inferiority phobia or some other mental condition (using a tactic characteristic of cult leaders).
Robert Lifton, Thought Reform & the Psychology of Totalism.
Any good book or article on cultism and charismatic leaders would be helpfull in understanding both Forester and his followers - not that VC-ism could rightly be called a cult-- many of the thought control tactics are absent although Forester does have a cult-like following that is a little scary at times. Some of the characteristics of cults are present: groupthink and groupspeak, to name a couple.
Forester also has an uncanny ability to inspire animosity
, which he is always quick to attribute to cyclist inferiority phobia or some other mental condition (using a tactic characteristic of cult leaders).
Last edited by JRA; 05-22-07 at 09:31 PM.
05-22-07, 07:56 PM
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Originally Posted by JRA
HH likes to throw names around to see if anyone responds. Perhaps he just wants me to post more since I'm such a big fan of his nutcase ideas, his zealotry and the fear-mongering and bullying tactics he uses to promote his ridiculous political agenda.
No more comments from HH about your brilliance, understanding or intelligent observations.But not to worry, I'll give you an electronic High Five for this right on the money description.
